The Fallen
by Sapphire Knight
Summary: The season of the sun has past. So has the season of the harvest. Falling shadows and fate will bind them together as the season of frost begins....
1. Foreword

[Ran] This story is told through our eyes. It may seem strange at times,  
[Mina] But, that's because there's more than one of us. We all may see the same thing,  
[Heir Ottoman] But we see many things very diffrently. Events that shape the foundations of our very lives,  
[Karumi] To others may mean nothing at all. We are alone in our journey,  
[Ran and Mina] But somehow we'll pull through. We will rise to meet these challanges,  
[Heir Ottoman and Karumi] and we will weave a spectacular story. We are...  
[Ran] lost...  
[Mina] searching...  
[Heir Ottoman] outcast...  
[Karumi] and afraid,  
[Ran, Mina, Heir Ottoman, and Karumi] but never alone. 


	2. The Lost

"Where am I now?" The young man said softly to himself as he looked over his tattered map yet again. The soft evening breeze rustled the leaves on the side of the desolate road. Failing light cast itself against the map as dying embers of sunlight faded from the horizon. "This way...." he said softly to himself as he glanced down the road to the left. Carefully replacing the map back into his worn red bag, he began down the left road. Skeletal trees raked at the skies with their bony hands and choked grass scarred the land with rust. "The season of the sun has ended, so has the season of the harvest. Soon winter would be upon them." The young man mused to himself as he approached the small farming village of Remeda. The last remnants of day faded as night cloaked the land. Candles and torches lit the sparse windows as he passed house and farm. He pulled his cap over his ears, covering almost all of his curled dark brown hair.  
  
Boisterous laughter and bellows echoed about the warm tavern. It was a farmer's banquet and a beggars' feast. Farmhands made merriment as ale poured from the taps. "Stranger! Welcome! Join us. It's the last day of harvest and we must celebrate!" the barkeep bellowed at the worn traveler with a worn red bag as he passed around another round of ale. The wanderer stepped up to the bar and let his red bag drop to the floor as he sat down on a bar stool. "Names Ert, Ert Den, What might I call you by?" The barkeep bellowed, not able to suppress his cheer or merriment. "Ran." The Young man said as he pulled his bag up to his lap and began to search through it. "Do you take coins of the realm? I'm afraid they're all I have left." Ran asked over the lights and din of merriment behind him. "Do we take them? They're all we take. None of that elven or dwarven junk." Ert beamed. "Five Silver for food and the night, quite a bargain tonight, all the ale you want." Ert continued as he filled a few more tankards. "Done." Ran replied fishing out a few silver coins and placing them on the counter. "Room three is yours. Don't mess it up." Ert warned as he set a steaming plate of roast boar before Ran. "Don't be so solemn! Tonight's a celebration!" Ert bellowed with laughter as he made his way over to collect the soiled tankards on the other side of the bar.  
  
"At least they don't know me here." Ran mused to himself as he turned and glanced about the room behind him. He noticed a little girl standing almost directly behind him. The light from the fireplace illuminated her blonde hair as she stared at Ran with a great intensity. "Are you an elf?" She asked as she stepped closer. "No, no I'm not an elf. Why do you ask?" Ran softly replied as he turned to face the girl. "She can't be more then eight, how?" Ran asked himself as the girl continued to stare. "You're hat, it tapers to a point. Mommy told me stories about elves and you wear a hat like the ones in the stories." The little girl said softly. "Oh, this hat? I made it. Sorry if it looks elven. It's the only one I have." Ran said hastily as he turned from the little girl. "It's alright; I know not everybody likes elves. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." The little girl whispered as she turned and returned to her parent's table. Ran considered what the girl said. "Maybe, just maybe, Humans aren't that bad." He thought to himself as he started on his meal.  
  
"What's the nearest city?" Ran asked Ert as the night faded on. "Oh, you'll be wanting to go to Sailion then." Ert replied over a tray full of dirty plates. "Sailion? How far is that?" Ran asked over his tankard of ale. "Oh, bout four day's travel on the north road. If you need a lift, you can go with the caravan that leaves tomorrow." Ert wiped his hands on his apron and continued putting dishes to be washed. "I will, thank you." Ran replied as he began to make his way to his room through the crowded tavern. "They leave early and if you're not there they'll leave without ya." Ert warned as he quickly turned to engage the next man in conversation.  
  
"Sailion, sounds familiar. Wonder why it's not on my map." Ran yawned as he unfolded the aged parchment to inspect it again. Carefully repacking the worn red bag, Ran snuffed the candle, plunging the room into darkness and shadow, with sights set on the morrow and on Sailion. 


	3. The Wanderer

The temple chimes echoed throughout the monastery. Tolling bells woke the followers far before the rising rays of the sun. Today they would do something they had not done in many generations. The ritual of knowledge was to be held today. Great clamoring among the priests and worshippers filled the temple and holy grounds. The finest of robes were to be donned, and the holiest of relics were to be displayed. The younger ones could hardly contain themselves as they scuttled past the more revered and aged. All but one priestess. She had been silent and collected all morn. Preparing for this day would be no different than any other. Rising to take her place at the tables and halls, she fitted herself with her silken robes and silver circlet as she has for the past eighteen years of her life. She could not remember any time when the church was not her home and the priests not her family. Solemn and unwavering she completed her daily tasks without so much gossip as the others. Sacred rituals brought change. With change came sorrow and pain. She knew this, she was afraid.  
  
The sun rose high over the chapel, casting it's radiant light down through the beautiful stained glass murals. Fractured light glittered and shone hues of color, illuminating the room. Hundreds of them gathered from all across the land for today. Priests and holy men met and greeted one another. Acolytes and alter men chattered about the proceedings to come. Robes of silk flowed as each quickly found their place among their brothers and sisters. Then the ceremony began. The elders cut all formalities and quickly began the lottery. Suddenly all fell silent as each person began to realize the utmost seriousness and importance of this ritual. Name cards of finely crafted gold were poured into a cauldron. Each card held the name of a attendant of the ceremony. Stirring the cauldron with his staff, the elder reached into the pool of gold and grasped one name card. "Mina, Mina Haspellion." The elder priest called out over the silence clasping the small golden name card in his hand. A young priestess stepped foreword. Separating herself from the crowd, she stood silently. The noon sun through the window brought her silken robes to radiate with a warm glow and caused her silver circlet to shine brilliantly. Her short amber hair caught the sun in each strand. Slowly, shakily she made her way to the elder. Silently before him she waited as he chanted for her protection. "You are to leave these walls, never to return to us." The elder spoke to her and the gathering. "Banishment?!" Mina thought, barely able to believe her own ears. What could she have done to deserve such a fate? "You are no longer one of us, bound to one temple or one god. Your life shall continue as a priestess, but not as you were. Now you have been chosen to be a wanderer. A gatherer and keeper of all religious truths. Learn all you can and live as you believe to see fit." The elder reached behind the caldron and produced a backpack. "Take this with you and gather any personal effects you may have collected during your time with us. As of this day henceforth the church can no longer protect you from the truths of the world." The elder spoke softly but with great force as he slowly led Mina back down the aisle. "We will aide you however and wherever we can. You will leave tomorrow, and tonight we will feast in your name." The elder continued. Mina soon found herself alone in the chapel. She had not noticed the silent departure of the others. Her mind raced with fear and confusion. She could not remember how long she had been standing there alone. She couldn't remember how long ago she had started to cry.  
  
The rest of the day passed quickly. What little she had hardly filled the bag. As a farewell gift, the church gave her a good sized bag of gold to help her on her way. Coins the likes she had never seen before. "Coins of the realm." Brother Gered explained them to her with great gusto. Mina quickly learned well of the barter system and of costs and money. Other gifts ranged from trinkets and rember-me's to clothes and cookware. She soon found her bag full and was soon on her way with the forceful hand of the church pushing her in the "right" direction.  
  
"Are we doing the right thing?" Father Reiad asked Father Derin as he watched from his study window as Mina departed from the main gates. "She's only a child. There are so many things that we cannot warn her of, or protect her from." He watched as she turned down the northern road and slowly faded from sight. "We can only wait and pray. Her first trial may break her. I am afraid to say she seems to be heading to Sailion. Whether she knows it or not, I cannot say. May Fharlanghn give you guidance Mina." Father Derin said sadly as he also watched her go. "You always knew she was different, father Reiad. She was never completely like the rest of us. You knew she would be leaving us today. Didn't you?" Father Derin spoke solemnly as he turned to leave. "I knew in my heart, but I prayed this would never happen, as I pray she never finds out." Father Reiad walked to his desk and looked over some aged parchment that held little meaning anymore. "As I Pray you never do, Father Derin." Father Reiad added to himself as he sat down to continue his work. 


	4. The Tormented

"Sailion." The young woman mused as she walked down the cobbled streets, breeze gently lifting her ponytail of midnight black hair behind her. Her skirt of fine black silk swished about her legs as she walked on. "Fortress city of the new world. Military stronghold and masterpiece of the realms." Wood houses and the sort lined the streets, colored with flower patches and small gardens. Shops lined the market sectors where anything and everything could be bought, for a price. The Theatre, the best in all the realms, boasted it's home here. Seaports and docks made up the northwestern end of this city, being on the sea of trades brought merchant ships from across the realms and even lands beyond the reach of man. Sailion Castle stood proudly in the center of it all. Tall, impregnable, and perfect, it stood towering over the city. Grey as aged granite and strong as dwarven steel. "Of all the places in the realms for a girl to disappear into, this is it." She said softly to herself as she made her way past the bustling crowds of shoppers and families. "At least here I'm safe." She calmly reassured herself as she glanced at the regularly stationed gaurdposts positioned amidst the shops.  
  
Suddenly in a twinkling of an eye, it was gone. Shadows that had no masters. Things of darkness that should not be there. No one had seen him blink from shadow to shadow, but she had. The creature of nightmares that had plagued her since her eighteenth birthday, and she had seen him. She now knew he was here, and he would bring more to reclaim her soon. He could not touch her in the crowds, but she was no longer safe, she had seen him, and he had seen her too.  
  
"Damn, how did he find me here?" She swore to herself as she forced her way through the crowds. "Two days, that's all I needed. Two days and the jubilee would take place. Two days and I would have enough magic to make you no more than a memory." The small Runestones glowed in her tightly clenched hand. "Two days and you will torment me no longer." She forced her way through the ebbing crowds as the sun lowered itself from the sky. Soon it would be dark. "He knows I'm here, but he'll have to find me first." The girl mumbled as she weaved about the crowds. This way and that she wandered. Silently and swiftly she moved. Why this creature was after her, she did not know. She only knew she would not be taken by it. 


	5. The Shunned

"Here's to tomorrow's Festival!" A young man shouted to his friends, lifting his tankard as high as his spirits. The tavern was filled with merriment and cheer. Warm light filled the rooms and made the wine sparkle as it poured from glass to glass. "Magician! Show us some of your magic!" the young man shouted across the room to a man cloaked in dark grey robes. "I'm saving it for tomorrow good Sir." The magician shouted back across the crowded room. The young man nodded in understanding and sat back down with his friends. "One more day before I can go home again." The magician thought to himself as he distanced himself from his rowdy neighbors. "The Jubilee of the Mages. Funny how this tradition has been degraded through the years." The Magician mused to himself as he gazed into his tankard, still full and untouched. He couldn't remember what made him buy the thing, but still, it gave him some comfort. Lost in thought, he began to remember better times, when the title "Wizard" meant something other than a peddler of cheap tricks and simple magic. Before the guilds were established that is. They were a good idea at the time. Mages Wizards and Sorcerers gathered as a band of brothers to share spells and talk about arcane lore. They formed the first guilds. What few honorable Wizards that were left had been forgotten as time wore on. Now, for a price, anyone could pick up a spell or two. Most individual research had stopped and spells began to become standardized, No longer unique as the individual. Resistance became pointless as guilds became powerful, fearfully powerful. No one could stand in their way. "I'll not stand against them, but they will never know my secrets." The Magician swore under his breath as he gazed into the wine, longing for the past.  
  
Calmly they entered the tavern. Six of them in dark red robes, each carrying a walking stick. Red Enforcers of the Magicians Guild of Sailion. "Here to check for contraband magic no doubt." An old man whispered to his friend next to the Magician. This snapped the Magician out of his trance. "Contraband Magic? I don't know what's legal in this city!" concentrating he quickly cast Nystul's undetectable Aura on himself and his equipment. He cursed himself for not checking the Guild's magical item list before. Luckily his high collar covered everything up to his eyes, making it impossible to see or hear him cast the spell. His long sleeves and cuffed wrists hid his gestures under the table. The Red enforcers walked around the tavern each checking for magical items. As quickly as they appeared they left. "That's the trouble with these Red Enforcers. They are trained to look for magic, not to feel it out. Otherwise, you might be in trouble my friend." The old man spoke as he rose from his seat to get another tankard of ale. "You know of magic, Sir? The Magician asked in a weary tone. "More specifically, I know of your magic, Heir Ottoman. You should be more careful. Not many people like you." The old man slowly began to walk towards the bar. "You know me, yet you didn't tell them." Heir Ottoman stood up to stop the Old Man. "As thanks, I want you to have my tankard. It's not much, But It will save you a trip and it's probably the best you'll find here." He said patting the Old Man on the shoulder. Gathering his things Heir Ottoman quickly left the din of merriment behind him as he took to the dark and abandoned streets. "No, thank you. Heir Ottoman." The Old Man chuckled to himself as he took the empty seat.  
  
The Empty streets filled with desolate shadows cast from lanterns at shop windows. Suddenly piercing the night, cries for help echoed down the streets. Heir Ottoman rushed headlong towards the cries from the shadows. "No one will hear you." One of the muggers spat harshly as he and his friends circled around the young woman in black. "Now what in the world would bring someone like you to people like us at this hour?" The second asked mockingly and he drew his knife. Heir Ottoman watched the scene from the shadows not ten feet away. Four muggers had surrounded the poor girl and were tormenting her with threats which they could very easily carry out. "Perhaps, she's here to give us her company on this cold night." The fourth laughed as he drew a rapier and stepped towards her. Crying, the woman fell to her knees. "Why, why do you do this to me?" She cried out as they inched their way closer to her. "Because there is no one who can tell us not to." The first said as he hungrily eyed her body. "Now there is." Heir Ottoman spoke as he stepped from the shadows. The Cloud barren sky cast moonbeams upon him; the near full moon seemed to give him an aura of light as he stood before the muggers. "Who are you?" The third demanded as he drew his short sword. "A student from The damn Magic Guild no doubt." The first cursed as he turned to face him. "Another rich brat that learned some tricks and now thinks he can beat us." The third responded. "How much will your parents give us for your head?" Laughed another as they all turned their attention away from the girl and onto their new prey. "How strong are you magic brat? Come on; Hit me with your best." Boasted the first as he presented himself to Heir Ottoman. "As you wish." Heir Ottoman mused. Chanting and forming hand sigils into the night air, a spear of solid shadow and pitch hurled itself through the mugger and lodged itself into the cobblestone road behind him. The mugger's body fell to a crumpled heap on the floor. "I am not part of any guild. You will not find my magic in any of their books." Heir Ottoman spoke softly as he watched the dagger fall from the lifeless hand of the mugger to the cobblestone road on which he lay. "Rouge Wizard! Run for it!" The mugger with the rapier shouted as he fled into the night quickly accompanied by his friends. Heir Ottoman slowly walked up to the girl on the ground, her body splayed about the cobblestones. "Just unconscious." He said softly to himself as he knelt down next to her and checked her vital signs. Returning to the fallen mugger Heir Ottoman stripped him of his weapons and valuables. "You no longer have need of these, and it seems that these are my only reason of being here." Heir Ottoman mused as he claimed the Mugger's coin purse, laden with ill gotten gains. As Heir Ottoman lifted the girl in his arms, he noticed she was tightly grasping several Runestones. "Another Sorceress, perhaps it was better that you didn't see that." Heir Ottoman said to the unconscious girl as he headed to the Inn, carrying her in his arms. 


	6. The Jubilee of the Magi

Crowds bustled about booths that sold magical trinkets. Cantrips lifted the spirits of passing peasants and illuminated the faces of children. The grand city of Sailion bustled with excitement as the Jubilee of the Mages thrust itself into full swing. Everyone dressed in their brightest and best. Guild mages wandered about and socialized freely with commoners. Sorcerers used their magic freely to amuse peasants and show off to their peers. Even the Thieves' guild banned thievery on this grandiose day. In one of these crowded booths sat Heir Ottoman. Before him lay an array of magical stones. "So expensive, these crystals. How do you ever afford Guild dues?" A Wizard asked as he picked up one of the small brightly colored crystals. "One finds ways." Heir ottoman replied glancing back at the girl sleeping behind him on a makeshift cot. "I can't see how, apprentices are expensive too." The Wizard followed Heir Ottoman's gaze towards the girl at the back of the tent. "But, if these work like you say, I'll take one." the Wizard gazed at the small blue crystal marble in his hand, placing eight thousand gold pieces on the table. Raising his hand to his forehead, he released the stone. Instantly, it began to circle his head. "Amazing, it is truly an Ioun stone. I can feel its magic already." The Sorcerer staggered as his mind opened to a larger world, allowing him to perceive mysteries he had never even dreamt of before. "Tell your collogues, if they want one, the wisdom stones sell out first!" Heir Ottoman called out to the Wizard as he disappeared into the crowds.  
  
"Where am I...?" The young woman moaned softly as she slowly woke to the sounds of the Jubilee. Slowly sitting up, she began to feel the filtered sunlight on her face. Tent canvass, she began to notice, made up three of the four walls and the ceiling. The dirt floor around her was barren except for the pile of bags and soft cloth she has been lying on. She let out a startled cry as she noticed the small clear spindle shaped crystal as it orbited her head. "Oh, you're finally awake!" The robed man sitting at the counter that made the fourth "wall" called back to her happily as he got up from his stool to turn and face her. "Who are you? Where am I? What do you want?" She shouted at him as she stumbled backwards, tripping over the makeshift cot. "Calm down, calm down, please. You're drawing a crowd." The Robed man urged softly as he noticed several people beginning to gather outside the booth. "Last night you were attacked in an alley, I saved you. My name is Heir Ottoman. You are in my booth on the main road of the Jubilee of the Magi. I had to tell them you were my apprentice to allow you to rest here; otherwise I wouldn't have been able to watch over you. Your Runestones are in the small leather pouch on your belt. I had to put a robe on you to pass you off as my apprentice. The Ioun stone circling your head is giving you the nourishment your body needs." Heir Ottoman whispered hastily as he kneeled closely to the frightened girl. "Sorry about my apprentice. She tried to use a spell too complex for her a little earlier, but she'll be fine" Heir Ottoman shouted to the crowd that gathered around his booth as he stood up and turned to them. He quickly walked back to the front of the booth and pretended that everything was normal. He was greeted by comments of "My apprentice does that too sometimes.", "You should really keep your higher level spells locked away", and "I remember the last time my apprentice did that, turned his hair green for a week" from the collection of spellcasters outside.  
  
The girl sat on the collection of bags and cloth trying to piece everything together. She could remember the shadow finding her last night and chasing her. She had run into the alley to get away from it, but some people had stopped her. They threatened her and she couldn't stop them, then she noticed the shadow, hiding behind one of them. Something had distracted the men and the shadow struck. She couldn't remember anything but coldness and darkness after that. She looked back at the man at the counter. Slowly she got up; adjusting the robe she was now wearing. She had never worn one before and it was a little uncomfortable and far too warm for her liking. The sleeves easily surpassed the length of he arms even though they were cuffed back. The extra length of the robe dragged unkempt behind her as she walked up to Heir Ottoman. "You saved me, why?" She whispered softly as she watched him move another bag of gold under the counter as the crystals sold quickly. "Because I saw it too, the shadow. It didn't notice, but I saw it attack you. You need all the help you can get." Heir Ottoman whispered back, startling the girl. "Don't say anything to anyone here about this; don't even tell them my name." Heir Ottoman continued. "Take this and enjoy the Jubilee." Heir Ottoman handed her a small pouch of gold. "Be careful, I feel we will meet again." Heir Ottoman deftly snatched the Ioun stone from the girl and placed it on the counter with the rest of its kind. "I'm sorry, I didn't even tell you my name yet." She turned to say after she made her way around the counter to outside the booth. "It's Karumi." She turned and disappeared into the crowds.  
  
"I can't believe I'm lost again!" Ran shouted to himself in anguish as the crowds push and shove him in this direction and that. Soon he found himself with a group of Mages that bore the crest of the Lord of Sailion. Before he could ask for directions he picked up some of their conversation. "Well, at least there are no damn Elves here this year." "Cant trust them at all, too chaotic. Always doing as they please, never listening to laws." "If it weren't for the church, Lord Reouh would ban them from this city." The Mages mumbled about themselves. "On second thought, maybe this isn't the group to ask. Maybe I really shouldn't be in this City." Ran thought to himself as the conversation continued. Soon another Mage ran up to them from the crowds. "Head Mage Pogno has declared that he has found a way to control Elementals!" He shouted to the group as he stopped to catch his breath. "That's nothing, every year he babbles about controlling elementals, it's been done before too." A member of the group responded. "No, No, No, Greater Elementals! He's going to have a demonstration later today at the grand stage!" At that the group went abuzz with excitement and rushed off in different directions to tell others leaving Ran standing there. "No, this can't be." Ran stood incapable of moving. "They should not mess with things that they do not understand!" Ran shouted to himself in anguish as he stumbled about trying to make his way to the stage area, wherever that was.  
  
"Finally, the real fun begins." Heir Ottoman mused as he stood in line to be registered for the duels. Preparations were done and the city square had been transformed into a huge stage. Here powerful magic users would soon test themselves against the best the Guilds had to offer. "I'll show them the power the Magi once held." He swore to himself as he took his place among the competitors. He turned to face his first challenge, a young man, no doubt nobility who had bought his way into a Magic Guild. "Don't make me hurt you. Go home before this round starts." Heir Ottoman warned as he readied his first spell in his mind. "You don't scare me! I am the apprentice to a powerful Wizard and my magic will beat you!" The boy shouted back as they distanced themselves from each other. A flash of light and small boom marked the beginning of the first round of eliminations. "Take this!" The young man shouted as he flung a pair of Magic Missiles at Heir Ottoman. Chanting softly and weaving powerful sigils into the air before himself, Heir Ottoman watched calmly as the twin missiles hurled themselves unerringly through the sky. Inches in front of him, they stopped dead. Explosions rocked the arena around the combatants as other spellcasters called forth the best of their arsenal. "Magic Missile, a weak spell for weak spellcasters." Heir Ottoman lifted his head slightly. "Take them back." Heir Ottoman threw his hands apart, catapulting the missiles back at the Young man. The reversal of his own spell caught the young man completely by surprise. They hit him squarely in the chest and the young man collapsed. "How.?" The young man moaned as the officials signaled for the end of the first match. Soon the fallen Spellcasters were removed from the field and the remaining duelists were paired up again. "Who's next?" Heir Ottoman asked himself as he turned to face his next opponent. A cruel smile crept upon his face, hidden by his high collar. Malice glanced about his eyes. "Who thinks he can stop my magic?" 


	7. The Jubilee of the Magi

The blazing sun jaunted about in the sky. Slowly, the Jubilee was reaching its zenith. "There's so much going on here." Mina thought to herself as she held tightly onto her bag, afraid of being separated from the only thing familiar to her in the entire city. Bright banners and shop curtains colored the sky as they held themselves proudly in the air, suspended by magic. She wandered around in breathless delight. Never before had she seen such vividity or vitality. "And I thought Brother Jerich was bad when he got into the wine." Mina giggled as she watched a gang of drunkards stumble about. Wine and cheap ale sloshed from their mugs and foamed upon the street. "I wonder if I should help them." She asked herself as she pulled her way from the crowd. Suddenly a man in a black cloak tumbled into her and sent her sprawling to the ground. "My bag!" She screamed as it was torn from her grasp by the stranger. Mina scramble to her feet as the stranger turned to run into the crowd. "No you don't, Ermon." A Woman's voice called out from behind Mina. The thief stopped dead in his tracks and whipped around. "Larian! Damn you! I have a job to do. Don't get in my way!" Fear cracked his voice as he shouted at a woman cloaked in a blood red robe as she stepped foreword from the crowd. "You know the laws as well as I do. No one will tolerate this treachery." She warned as she took another step foreword. "What? Just because I pull a little job on the day of the Jubilee I get in trouble?" The thief laughed nervously as he stepped away from the robed woman. "I'm sorry. Here, take it back." He threw the bag at her with unsteady hands. It landed soundly at her feet. The robed woman looked down at the bag and then turned her full attention back to the thief. "You know damn well why I'm here. They didn't send me as an errand boy for some minor infraction." The thief, visibly shaken by these words, stumbled back and fell. "Tell me where the mask is, and I'll kill you swiftly. Or, I can make your death as painful as it needs to be." She drew a slender dagger. In the light it glistened with the taint of strong and twisted magic. "I, It's not here! I passed it off to a man in the tavern! I swear! Don't kill me! I don't have it!" The thief begged as he scrambled to get away from her. "Pity, that makes my job even harder. And you know stealing from the boss warrants death. Too bad." The robed woman laughed as the thief sprawled fixated to the spot upon which he sat. "Wait!" Mina called out as she rushed foreword to stop the robed woman. "Every life has purpose. It's special and should not be cast away so lightly!" Mina reached forward to catch the woman by the shoulder. The woman stopped and turned to face Mina. "Do you honestly believe that?" She laughed as she looked into Minas eyes. Mina nodded silently. "Even the life of a thief has value?" The woman asked coldly as her eyes burned their way into Mina's soul. "Every life has value in the eyes of the gods." Mina spoke softly as she trembled beneath the woman's icy gaze. "Hmm, the gods. They stopped caring long ago." The woman silently spoke. "No, they still care." Mina replied, fearful of this woman and the cynicism in her voice. "Fine." The woman turned to the thief still affixed to the spot he had fallen upon. "Because the gods value your life, and today is the Jubilee, I will not kill you today. But be warned, the bounty still stands, and the gods may not be so caring tomorrow." She warned as she sheathed her dagger and turned to disappear into the ever changing crowd. The thief scrambled to his feet and was gone before Mina could say anything. Mina slowly bent down and picked up her bag. The sky around her seemed to darken as storm clouds gathered on the horizon. Mina shivered from an unnatural coldness as she made her way through the busy streets. Something was happening, and Mina could feel it coming.  
  
Explosions rocked the stage as the contestants in the fourth round of the magic duels tried their best to kill their opponents. Heir Ottoman laughed maliciously as he reversed a particularly nasty fireball back upon his opponent. "That one. The one in the black robes fighting Alledri." One of the head mages picked Heir Ottoman out among the battling contestants. "He uses spells I've never seen before." "Could he be a rouge mage?" another magi asked the council as they watched the duels. "No, he's far too powerful." Another responded. "Then, could the rumors be true? Could that be Heir Ottoman?" a slightly younger council member asked. "We will see, we will see." Yannis the Archmage motioned the others to be silent. "Nothing but misfortune befalls a man who jumps to conclusions." They turned their attention back to the field as a burst of crimson light scorched the mage they had identified as Alledri. He fell to the ground amidst the ashes and cinders. Heir Ottoman could feel the power. It began to change him. His eyes burned with cruelty and malice. He had not used these spells in a long time, and he had forgotten the power that backed them. Laughter laced with desire bubbled out as he could feel the power again. The power that was harnessed through a lifetime of independent study.  
  
The flash and bang ended this round. Now that the duelists had proven themselves, it was time for the three way eliminations. After some sorting, the next round started. Heir Ottoman faced two magi from the guild of Sailion. "Truce? You know what he can do." One of them shouted to the other. "Fine. Back me." The second replied as he prepared his first spell in his mind. The first unleashed a fiery bolt. The projectile seared its way across the field and burned the air it cut through. Heir Ottoman raised his hand before him and chanted below the din of battle. The streaming flame slashed through the air and veered sharply into the ground just moments before it would have struck its target true. "Ha Ha ha ha. Your flaming arrow has sputtered and died. Now taste the gossamer strands from the bow of Sylphi!" Heir Ottoman shouted as he drew an imaginary arrow back in an illusionary bow, and let it fly. The wind screamed as an invisible attack cut through it. Shards of wind and rage cut through the mage. Slashing and tearing, rending flesh from bone. The first magi collapsed, unable to bear the pain from his unnatural wounds. "DIE!" The second shouted as he unleashed a wave of ice. It whipped about and bore down upon Heir Ottoman before he could react. Sapphire shards of razor ice slashed and seared. He braced himself as the shards cut and shattered upon him. The first magi was quickly carried off to be healed as the second held the barrage. "What is the spell that is being used against our mystery magi?" One of the magi asked Yannis as they watched the torrential storm lash the field. "Something fairly new. We mixed the spells Ice Wall and Ice Dagger. The results are quite impressive even if it takes a while to cast." Yannis replied. Slowly the duelists finished the round and gathered to watch in awe as the magi held the wall in place for more than eight minuets. "Yannis! Do something! Surely the man must be dead!" one of the magi spectators begged as the frost storm lashed on. "Wait, and see." Yannis replied skeptically as the ice slowly began to dissipate. Slowly a figure began to emerge from the ice. Gasps echoed in the silence of the stage as Heir Ottoman steadily approached the ice mage. Heir Ottoman was nearly untouched. His sleeves were shredded and mostly gone, exposing his shimmering silver gauntlets. Several cuts tore his robe and stained small patches red with blood, but other than this he was relatively untouched.. "Shadow Fall!" Heir Ottoman commanded as he wove an intricate pattern into the air before him. The mage shouted in surprise as he was engulfed by his own shadow. It absorbed itself as it wrapped him in an ethereal blanket of fear. The mage fell to his knees gibbering senselessly. No one dared move as the spectacle unfolded around them. "Who will be next?" Heir Ottoman asked the few magi duelists that remained.  
  
His voice has gone cold and sharp. Madness no longer blazed in his eyes as he no longer was drunk with the power he could wield. Something made him stop. Something, even colder than the power of the last spell, gripped him. As winter grasped the ethereal planes, so he felt it too. 


	8. The Jubilee of the Magi

"Damn." Ran swore to himself as he felt the presence of strong magic approaching the stage. "I hope I'm not too late." He murmured carelessly to himself. Upon the raised stage stood a short, pudgy Mage. He had charts and graphs hung behind him, showing a detailed account of his study and his findings. Many spellcasters had gathered to see this spectacle. Every spellcaster had come to this year's Jubilee hearing the same rumor. Someone had finally managed to summon and bind the Greater Elementals. This event may just be the most important event of the Century. Ran pushed and forced his way past the multitude of Magi and Sorcerers to get towards the stage. Shouts of protest arose from the people he pushed aside but he had no time to heed them warning.  
  
"Excuse me, but do you know where I could find a Runesmith?" Karumi asked one of the few remaining people wandering the stalls. "That way." The Sorceress pointed towards one of the far stalls. "Thank you." Karumi turned and headed towards the stall. She could see them. Hiding behind the booths. Sneaking away into alleys. But the shadows no longer bothered her. It was daytime. They could follow her around as much as they liked but she knew that they would not risk an attack while people could see them. She knew that they would take her right now if nobody was around. But because of the Jubilee they could not. "I'd like you to make something for me." Karumi said as she approached the booth. The Runesmith looked up from his tinkering. "What would you like Milady? An amulet of beauty? A pendant of charm?" The Runesmith joked as he sat up in his chair. "No, a ring. Using these runes." Karumi placed the handful of Runestones onto the table. "That would be dangerous. I can't guarantee how the ring will work." The Runesmith started. "Using this order." Karumi interrupted, placing a small sheet of paper down on the table. "Hmm, a challenge then." The Runesmith mused. "Because you supplied the Runes and the order. I'll make you your ring for free. It should be interesting; I've never seen this combination before." The Runesmith picked up the Runestones and the paper and began preparing to craft the ring. "I'll be done in an hour. Come back then." The Runesmith replied as he busied himself. "I have nothing better to do. I can wait here." Karumi responded as she pulled up a stool and sat down in the shade of the tent.  
  
"This is MY hour!" Pogno told himself with the firm conviction of reassurance from the surging crowd. Pogno had been telling himself this about the same time last year when he accidentally sealed the stage in quince pudding after a slight miscalculation. Pogno is or at least was the leading authority on summoning and binding spirits, and every year he almost amazes everyone. Pogno winced slightly at remembering the last three years of failure. "This year, this year it is different." He continued to tell himself as he began drawing upon the magics that shaped the old world. "Finally I have the key to summoning. A book from Gahens itself!" Pogno looked back to that day when he found the tattered scroll. "Now, the real test." Pogno began the ritual of summoning as described in the scroll, including the use of three sacred sigils. ~One of light come to my side~ "Better start by summoning a 'Good' elemental." Pogno etched in the first sigil. (Cold.) ~Bound by will too weak to fight~ "A younger elemental would be easier to control." The second sigil was quickly, yet carefully scratched into the stage. (So cold.) ~With heart as evermade~ "Better go with the crowd-pleasing female form too." The gender sigil marked the slow completion of the ritual. (Am I making it this cold?) 


	9. The Summons

"Celcius? Celcius what's wrong?" The young blue haired woman stood up quickly, knocking over the crystal table. Her blue kimono caught the edge of the table and tore slightly. ~"One of light come to my side."~ She watched as the woman sitting across from her started to fade. Celcius slowly melted into the Eather plane. ("Cold.") Her long silver blue hair fell over her shoulders, kept only in place by her silver circlet. ~"Bound by will too weak to fight."~ Something was calling. She had never felt anything like it before, she couldn't stop herself. Creatures she had once called her friends now shied away from her. ("It's so cold.") Celcius tried to call out to her friends, but her lips no longer moved. Her body was no longer hers as it was guided through the dangerous terrain. ~"With heart as evermade."~ Everything started to fade, as if she now were a prisoner in her own body. ("Am I making it this cold?") Her sight blurred and she watched through the frosted vision that kept her from controlling herself. Suddenly she was ripped from her own body and everything faded to nothingness as the floor rushed up to meet her. ("What's happening to me?")  
  
"He's starting the spell!", "He found some old spell books and took most of his information from them I heard.", "Impossible! All that knowledge was lost long ago." Wizards and Sorcerers gathered around the stage were abuzz with excitement. Pogno continued etching the magical seal into the stage floor. "I'll never get there with this crowd, and I can't do anything here." Ran cursed to himself as he pushed his way closer to the stage.  
  
"Your winnings sir." The young woman handed Heir Ottoman a large bag of coins and gems. "Thank you for participating in this years' Spell casting competition." She smiled nervously as Heir Ottoman solemnly looked back over the arena grounds. A team of magicians were still trying to pull the inanimate Shield Golem from the stage. "Well done, you really are truly amazing." Yannis beamed proudly as he strode up to greet the champion. His royal purple robes swishing about. "I must say I have waited forever to see your Heir Cannon Technique. I've never seen anything punch a hole through a Shield Golem in one hit before. Oh, how rude of me. I am Yannis. Imperial Magi. And you are, I assume, the legendary Heir Ottoman." "I know who you are. Because of you and your guilds, I can enter neither town nor city without false name or disguise spells." Heir Ottoman interrupted as he pushed his way past Yannis and his Mages. "I'm warning you now Heir Ottoman. Don't make me your enemy. You have no idea what I can do." Yannis warned the rouge Mage as he made his way from the arena through the crowds. "Nor do you know me Yannis, nor do you know me." Heir Ottoman pulled on a hat of disguise and disappeared into the waning crowd. "Shall we stop him?" One of the Magi asked Yannis as they turned to leave. "Try if you want, but I really doubt you'll be able to stop him short of a complete lock down of the city, and I really don't want a riot on my hands."  
  
"It's done." The Runesmith called out. "Great! Can I see?" Karumi shouted happily as she jumped out of her seat and rushed over. Beaming with pride, the Runesmith handed the small silver ring to the girl. Giddily Karumi looked it over, enjoying the small magical item as if it were some great forgotten treasure. "On the house girl, just tell me how it works if we ever meet again." The Runesmith called as began taking another order. "Thank you! I will!" Karumi called out happily. "Finally, it is done. I shall fear thee not my shadows." Karumi sped off silently into the crowd.  
  
"Is this truly a good idea, Lord Doubloon? Entering port Sailion in broad daylight?" The woman with long brown hair asked as she slowly ascended onto the main deck of the Gold Coin. Behind the helm stood a man, wearing a red bandanna, covering half of his face. "Never a better time, Lady Jewel." He responded as the sea salt air whipped about, and the noonday sun reflected brilliantly off of the gold coin he boasted upon his bandanna. He wore a silken shirt, embroidered with crimson flame. Against his belt, rested a magnificent blade. The silver scabbard leaned proudly against his blood red pants, which in turn folded neatly into his half-calf boots. "We're here for one thing and one thing alone. We'll be gone long before they even know that we're here." Her long skirt brushed against her black boots as she made her way up to the helm. Several of the crew cleared her way as she navigated about the deck flawlessly. Rays of light dazzled and danced about the jewel she wore about her neck as she took up her position aside Lord Doubloon, as he shouted commands to the men below. She shivered and gently rubbed her glove swathed arms together. She stopped to admire the gloves she wore, as they were the finest any had seen. Jet black leather, soft yet firm, ran up her arms and ended abruptly slightly past her elbows. "Quite impractical for a swordswoman, or a seafarer." Lord Doubloon commented as he noticed her admiration of the clothing. "Yet perfect for a lady, and a lover." Lady Jewel replied as she took the wheel from him. "Prepare to dock!" She shouted to the deckhands as she skillfully manipulated the ship. "Take what you can, love." She called to Lord Doubloon as he headed down to aide with docking preparations. "Give nothing back." He called back over the din of the crew.  
  
Slowly she could feel herself moving. Everything was fuzzy and different. (Hot.) Celcius slowly got to her feet. (Loud.) Celcius looked blindly about. She stood someplace unfamiliar. (It hurts.) People were crying, laughing, shouting. (Why?) Someone was standing next to her, she could feel it. (Too hot.) What did they want? She did not know. (It burns.) They were watching. They were watching her. (Make it stop, please.) Why?  
  
Pogno shouted and fell back in surprise. There, in the middle of the stage, stood a girl. Her hair, light, silver-blue, and as brilliant as fresh snow, ran down her back and tapered at her waist. Her clothes, strange and alien as they flared out about her hands and feet, shirt unconnected from leggings at the waist, brilliantly white as the purest frost. Collar cutting low and unmoving. Her silver circlet delicately resting upon her brow. An amulet, finely carved from crystal far more intricate than any elven work. Her eyes, frosted blue. Her fey ears. He felt it. A power that lingers long after a spell fades her power. Pogno realized what he had done, who this girl was. "Celcius, mistress of the frost, and youngest of the elemental spirits of our realm!" Pogno shouted proudly to the astonished crowd. Murmurs broke out immediately as the last twinkle of magic began to fade. "It has got to be a trick of some kind." One of the older mages grumbled, "She can't be real." Another of Pogno's students whispered about the crowd, "She's beautiful." Gasped an astonished sorcerer as he stood before the stage. "You can't control her, you know." A voice cut through the crowd. Silence fell as everyone watched the figure emerge from one of the charts that stood proudly upon the stage. "Who, who are you to say such a thing?!" Pogno shouted as he slowly backed away. The stranger slowly moved forward, sunlight slowly caressed his green stocking cap, faded green tunic, and worn red backpack. "I am a traveler, one who has seen much. I warn you for one final time, if you don't unsummon her, I may not be able to stop her." The young man warned as he kept weary eye upon both Celcius and Pogno. "Bah! You know nothing of my work!" Pogno snipped quickly. "Behold! Even a stranger confirms my legitimacy!" He turned and shouted to the crowd. (No more.) Everyone gasped in amazement as Pogno showed off his prize. (It Hurts.) Then he felt it. The magical bond snapped. (BURNS!) A shrill cry of pain shot through the city as Celcius fell lifeless to the ground. "NO!" Pogno shouted in terror as the spirit lay upon the stage. Slowly the temperature began to drop. Ice crept across the boards that the girl lay upon. Fingers numbed and breath fogged as the noon sun failed to heat the stage. "It can't be.." Pogno stammered as he trembled in fear before the girl as she slowly began to push herself to her feet again. A pulse of frost rippled across the stage, enveloping it in a flash frost. Celcius slowly pushed herself to her knees and held her head in pain. "Too late, it is too late." The young man cursed as he slowly backed away.  
  
"It was a dream." Celcius slowly thought to herself as she chilled the air around her to more hospitable temperatures. "Everything had to have been a dream." Celcius shivered as she slowly tried to think rationally. "Mana will help me. Where is she? She was right at the table." Celcius slowly reached out to her crystal table and felt nothing, nothing but stinging heat. "My head, voices. So many voices." Celcius murmured as she slowly staggered to her feet. "Where am I?" she slowly asked herself as she opened her eyes to face the blazing light. Then she saw them. Demons of heat from another land, they were watching her. She stumbled about trying to find her bearings and pushed over a stand of some sort. It shattered as it hit the ground. Her mind whirled, pushed further and further by these strange things. Then, she felt him. The presence of a Planeswalker. "He will protect me. They always have and always will. That's why he's here." Her tortured mind screamed as she lunged at him blindly. Grasping desperately for something familiar. Something that could save her from this madness. 


End file.
